A device of this kind is known, for example, from German Published Application No. 2,536,645. It is constructed as a magazine which can be inserted as a whole in a printing unit and makes it possible to store a large amount of ink ribbon in a relatively small storage compartment. The ink ribbon is continuously slipped into the storage compartment by means of a drive arranged in the magazine, during the operation of the printing unit, and at the same time is drawn out of the storage compartment at the outlet opening by the action of the drive. Outside of the storage compartment it runs through the ribbon guide device and is thereby guided through a printing region in which for example a stylus force head, by acting on the ink ribbon in the manner of a letter causes a transfer of ink from the ink ribbon onto a track support.
Such a magazine-type ink ribbon device, after the printing ink present on the ink ribbon has been used up, can be taken bodily out of the printing unit and be replaced by a new ink ribbon device. But this replacement is relatively expensive, since changing the used ink ribbon necessarily involves changing its guide. If a repeated use of the ink ribbon device is to be made possible to save expense, which is especially important when there are a large number of printing units present in a large-scale operation, e.g. in cash registers of department stores or supermarkets, then the magazine-like ink ribbon devices must be loaded with fresh ink ribbons after they are taken out of the printing units. This work is tedious and causes a great smudging of the hands. Besides, this requires not only an expenditure of time but also a certain knack which cannot readily be expected of the operating staff, of a cash register for example. If the ink ribbon is to changed after long time intervals, then the utilization of the ink ribbon must be prolonged, which in turn leads to an increased expense of the ink ribbon material.